azdad1978
Championship!!!!
But Player prefers bare-bones mask of bygone years
Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 7, 2005 12:00 AM
No need to tell Scott Player. He knows.
The Cardinals punter hears it almost daily, from teammates, opponents, fans. They all tease him about his helmet, the last of its kind in pro football.
"I know I probably look stupid in it; it makes my face look fat," Player said. "But I'm not out there for my looks."
No, he's out there to punt, so each Sunday Player takes the field wearing the single-bar helmet, the equivalent of Andre Agassi serving with a wooden racket.
Once upon a time, nearly every kicker wore the single-bar, but Father Time has thinned the ranks, forcing kicker Gary Anderson and punter Sean Landeta into retirement and leaving only Player with the distinctive, bare look.
"I started wearing it back in the World League in 1997," Player said. "I just kind of got into a bad habit where I (lowered) the ball and the bars always seemed to be in the way. I've worn it ever since."
Take a look at any professional football team. On game days, the players pretty much look the same: shirts tucked, socks pulled up, helmets fastened.
The only place that offers freedom is the helmet cage. There players have a choice. Nearly 30 styles exist, Cardinals equipment manager Mark Ahlemeier said. Some players base their selections on vision, others on protection.
Anquan Boldin adds another element: style.
The receiver sits at his locker after a recent practice, discussing the face masks he admired in his younger years, those of Eric Dickerson and Deion Sanders.
"Everyone wanted to grow up and be 'Prime Time,' " Boldin said. "It's like a fashion statement almost. People around here get cracked on about the cages they wear."
People like Scott Player?
"Yeah, we make fun of him, but he's a kicker, so . . . "
So who else?
Boldin leans forward, studying the helmets hanging beside every locker. His face breaks into a smile.
"Hey, is that Fitz's helmet?" he asked a teammate. "Where's Fitzgerald?"
Larry Fitzgerald is in the other room, grabbing lunch.
Boldin shakes his head.
"See, if you have a cage like Fitzgerald's, it ain't happening. His is just ugly."
Fifteen minutes later, Fitzgerald returns with a plate of grilled chicken. Told about Boldin's comments, he keeps right on chewing. He's heard it before.
Like most receivers, he wears a helmet with three bars. Difference is, his bars are spaced an inch or more between each, protecting most of his face from the nose down.
He's asked about Player's face mask, a style that originated in the mid-1930s when the helmets were leather.
Fitzgerald said he admires Player, "but hopefully he won't have to make a tackle, because I remember watching the Redskins a few years ago. Remember that game? When (punter) Bryan Barker broke his nose? He had only one or two bars on his helmet. That's just something I don't have to worry about. I don't want my face to get banged up."
Face masks are made to protect. Joe Namath wore a bigger cage after fracturing his cheekbone. Former Miami running back Larry Csonka wore a U-ring descending from the top of his helmet to help protect his nose. Several current players wear shields to help protect their eyes.
The lack of protection is the single-bar's downfall.
Former Cardinals defensive back Larry Wilson wore one in 1960, when it wasn't unusual. Almost everyone wore the single-bar back then. They were happy to have any protection at all.
Bring up the experience today, and bad memories surface. Wilson remembers getting his upper teeth knocked out during a preseason game in Omaha, Neb.
"The doctor said I'd be eating steak by the weekend; I wasn't even eating soup," said Wilson, who retired in 1972 after 13 seasons with the Cardinals.
Joe Theismann broke in with the Washington Redskins in 1974, wearing a two-bar helmet. Every time the quarterback turned to hand off, he had trouble seeing between the bars.
So he turned to the single-bar, throwing for 25,206 yards in a 12-year career - and collecting seven broken noses and other facial injuries.
"I lost two of my teeth against the Giants one year," he said. "A linebacker came up right underneath and got me with his helmet. I remember walking to the sideline, spitting out teeth."
Player feels lucky. In eight seasons, he hasn't suffered a major facial injury.
Part may be luck, and part may stem from the fact that he remembers to slide the bar up after he kicks.
"It's kind of like a convertible," Player said. "I can move it up and down, so it protects my face. So to start, I always keep it down around my chin so I can see. But if I'm chasing somebody down (on punt coverage), I try to remember to move it up."
In the end everything usually works out. Player punts. He runs up field. He returns to the sideline, waiting for the next time his team faces fourth and long and one of sports' last antiques is called into action.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1007helmets1007.html
Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 7, 2005 12:00 AM
No need to tell Scott Player. He knows.
The Cardinals punter hears it almost daily, from teammates, opponents, fans. They all tease him about his helmet, the last of its kind in pro football.
"I know I probably look stupid in it; it makes my face look fat," Player said. "But I'm not out there for my looks."
No, he's out there to punt, so each Sunday Player takes the field wearing the single-bar helmet, the equivalent of Andre Agassi serving with a wooden racket.
Once upon a time, nearly every kicker wore the single-bar, but Father Time has thinned the ranks, forcing kicker Gary Anderson and punter Sean Landeta into retirement and leaving only Player with the distinctive, bare look.
"I started wearing it back in the World League in 1997," Player said. "I just kind of got into a bad habit where I (lowered) the ball and the bars always seemed to be in the way. I've worn it ever since."
Take a look at any professional football team. On game days, the players pretty much look the same: shirts tucked, socks pulled up, helmets fastened.
The only place that offers freedom is the helmet cage. There players have a choice. Nearly 30 styles exist, Cardinals equipment manager Mark Ahlemeier said. Some players base their selections on vision, others on protection.
Anquan Boldin adds another element: style.
The receiver sits at his locker after a recent practice, discussing the face masks he admired in his younger years, those of Eric Dickerson and Deion Sanders.
"Everyone wanted to grow up and be 'Prime Time,' " Boldin said. "It's like a fashion statement almost. People around here get cracked on about the cages they wear."
People like Scott Player?
"Yeah, we make fun of him, but he's a kicker, so . . . "
So who else?
Boldin leans forward, studying the helmets hanging beside every locker. His face breaks into a smile.
"Hey, is that Fitz's helmet?" he asked a teammate. "Where's Fitzgerald?"
Larry Fitzgerald is in the other room, grabbing lunch.
Boldin shakes his head.
"See, if you have a cage like Fitzgerald's, it ain't happening. His is just ugly."
Fifteen minutes later, Fitzgerald returns with a plate of grilled chicken. Told about Boldin's comments, he keeps right on chewing. He's heard it before.
Like most receivers, he wears a helmet with three bars. Difference is, his bars are spaced an inch or more between each, protecting most of his face from the nose down.
He's asked about Player's face mask, a style that originated in the mid-1930s when the helmets were leather.
Fitzgerald said he admires Player, "but hopefully he won't have to make a tackle, because I remember watching the Redskins a few years ago. Remember that game? When (punter) Bryan Barker broke his nose? He had only one or two bars on his helmet. That's just something I don't have to worry about. I don't want my face to get banged up."
Face masks are made to protect. Joe Namath wore a bigger cage after fracturing his cheekbone. Former Miami running back Larry Csonka wore a U-ring descending from the top of his helmet to help protect his nose. Several current players wear shields to help protect their eyes.
The lack of protection is the single-bar's downfall.
Former Cardinals defensive back Larry Wilson wore one in 1960, when it wasn't unusual. Almost everyone wore the single-bar back then. They were happy to have any protection at all.
Bring up the experience today, and bad memories surface. Wilson remembers getting his upper teeth knocked out during a preseason game in Omaha, Neb.
"The doctor said I'd be eating steak by the weekend; I wasn't even eating soup," said Wilson, who retired in 1972 after 13 seasons with the Cardinals.
Joe Theismann broke in with the Washington Redskins in 1974, wearing a two-bar helmet. Every time the quarterback turned to hand off, he had trouble seeing between the bars.
So he turned to the single-bar, throwing for 25,206 yards in a 12-year career - and collecting seven broken noses and other facial injuries.
"I lost two of my teeth against the Giants one year," he said. "A linebacker came up right underneath and got me with his helmet. I remember walking to the sideline, spitting out teeth."
Player feels lucky. In eight seasons, he hasn't suffered a major facial injury.
Part may be luck, and part may stem from the fact that he remembers to slide the bar up after he kicks.
"It's kind of like a convertible," Player said. "I can move it up and down, so it protects my face. So to start, I always keep it down around my chin so I can see. But if I'm chasing somebody down (on punt coverage), I try to remember to move it up."
In the end everything usually works out. Player punts. He runs up field. He returns to the sideline, waiting for the next time his team faces fourth and long and one of sports' last antiques is called into action.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1007helmets1007.html
